When in Death's cold grip
by neonkoi
Summary: Shinichi was stalked by a curse rather than a blessing it would seem, and the cold hand would always seem to grip her wrist once more, never letting go. So she seeks out the child of blessings who could help her with the curse. Lady Luck's favorite, Kaitou KID. Written for Poirot Cafe themed writing competition #14: Supernatural. Warning: Female Shinichi and Slight fem!ShinxKai


_**This is really different from what I usually write so.. yeah. Slight Fem!Shin x kai**_

 _ **words: 4,174**_

 ** _Prompt: Ghosts, Curse, and/or Pandora's box (Written for contest #14: supernatural on Poirot Cafe Forum)_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own DC or MK_**

* * *

She was cursed, there was simply no questioning it- no matter how mind breaking it was to one with such strong belief in logic. And it wasn't long before Shinichi once again felt that chilling sensation of Death grasping her wrist with it's cold bony hand, leading her to once again another scene. To once again another gruesome sight of misfortune and tragedy.

She didn't gasp or widen her eyes in surprise like all the witnessing bystanders who had the misfortune to gaze upon the scene of a lifeless and bloodied body, she knew it had happened the moment Death's hand curled around her wrist and once again led her away as it usually did to its own amusement.

The curse teased her, played with her skills and made people kill one another on whims so it could witness her solve the crime. The crime that it- _Death_ \- initiated.

" _It's not me~_ " It's raspy voice whispered to her and the detective hugged herself close, for once feeling afraid as shivers broke out on her slim body. She stilled quickly, not wanting to let it see the effect it had on her. " _I'm only bringing out the true side of humans. You can't blame me for what one truly desires_."

The frost bit into her wrist and she was once more dragged away. A thought lingered in her mind with underlying hope.

 _No more._

Not wanting to play its game, but not wanting to let the criminal go. Rather contradicting her thoughts hummed. She couldn't rebel and _it_ knew. She despised that and the feeling of being held captive by such thoughts displeased her greatly. So she went to the one place where Death would not follow. After all, even _it_ would not mess with Lady Luck's favorite child.

Not even Death was that dumb.

Reaching the heist building where she knew the thief would be because of the extravagant heist note he left on her coffee maker _(the nerve of some people!)_ , the detective felt the displeased breath of her curse on the back of her neck as she walked into the building. She allowed a small grin once she could no longer feel Death's presence constantly surrounding her. She knew it was watching yes, but this was better than nothing.

"Ladies," KID winked her direction, "and Gentlemen, I hereby welcome you to a spectacular night!" The thief thrusted his hands out, almost as if he was embracing the crowd. Doves scattered in graceful glides to many areas of the rather large room. Shinichi's mind duly made note of the lanterns attached to their feet and white feathers dabbled with strange doodles that seemed to project images with the light.

It was beautiful. But not why she was here. Not exactly at least, since she did enjoy the thief's magic when particularly stressed. Coming here, she needed to talk to the thief. Somehow just by being born, she'd already fallen out of Lady Luck's graces, but the criminal hadn't and perhaps he could help with the curse Death placed on her. Her pride be damned if it meant no curse.

So she raced to the roof where she knew the white-clad criminal would be in all his obtained glory.

"Meitantei-san." Kaitou KID greeted her with his signature smirk that was beginning to tick the detective off. The thief himself sat crossed legged in the middle of a helicopter landing pad on the top of the building they were currently on. And so, Shinichi walked over diligently and plopped down beside him with unsurprising grace.

"KID-san." She acknowledged with a nod, her eyes filled with a certain joy when she saw her curse back further away to observe from safer distances as it hid in the darkest of shadows. The thief's own mirth filled indigo eyes followed her gaze and smirked.

"Still attached I see?" He said with a glare and light growl. "If I didn't know better, I'd think it was a child trying to get attention from you Shin-chan." The detective next to him let out a humorless laugh.

"Well, I'm pretty sure making people kill one another on a daily basis has worked quite well attention wise." KID turned to her and sighed. His eyes lost their previous mirth and instead held a sense of sorrow.

"I don't know why it does this to you, I'm sorry." He apologized to her sincerely. She smiled at the tone and shrugged indifferently. KID was way too caring for his own good. The fact was truly comical, but even the task force knew it.

"Not your fault."

"Still-"

"KID, drop it." Shinichi glared slightly upward. She was so not letting him get into a heart-to-heart talk with her. God knows she got into enough of them with Heiji and Ran. Sometimes the torture lasted _hours_. "We both know I'm cursed and that's that. Can you help is the question."

When she received no answer, she turned her attention away from where she had taken up stargazing to momentarily gaze at the thief. He stared blankly at her and Shinichi stared back equally as unemotional, both at a silent stand-off.

Breaking out of his previous stupor, the white-clad thief furrowed his brows in confusion and snapped his head towards Death's direction.

"What did you do to break such a prideful creature?" Were the words that flew out of his mouth and the detective found herself deadpanning once more before flat out face palming. Of course, he would question her pride. However, Shinichi was surprised to find the curse backing away more, it's hissing loud and painful. Harmful to mortal ears.

"Is it just me or did your blessing just terrify my curse?" Shinichi asked wide eyed, her surprise unconcealed which instantly made her feel uncomfortable. The magician shrugged, his cape making an elegant and fluid motion to go along with the movement of his shoulders. Her attention was soon drawn back to his visible eye when she felt him looking intently at her, a look of concentration plastered on what was visible of his face.

"I've actually been thinking of ways to help for awhile now. With or without your consent." He admitted with a sly smirk on his face with his tongue sticking teasingly out as if he was a child.

Shinichi scoffed. How fitting that the KID had the heart and mind of a five-year-old in the most serious of situations. Then again, she supposed, it's a rather enduring trait of his that she can't bring herself to hate. Only to get mildly annoyed at.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow, KID's smirk growing wider. "And may I dare ask, did you find a solution?" He grinned and the detectives heart skipped as hope washed over her before she let it die down as to not be disappointed by whatever outcome she got.

"Nope, but I know someone who might know. She's scary, but she's best buds with Lucifer. She's bound to know _something_." He replied happily.

"The people you know," Shinichi muttered under her breath with a light smile. "When can I meet her?" Both she and KID winced when Death started hissing in protest, scratching the concrete ground and coming as close to them as it dared while still being concealed in shadows.

Shinichi was startled, she'd reluctantly admit. Death never harmed her physically, but the way it was looking at her right now with such disdain only told her that it may not be that way for long. She jumped when a hand was placed on her shoulder and suddenly all she could see was white as she was being pulled to her feet in a quick motion.

"Looks like I'm going to have to stick to you on the way there. Come on Meitantei-san, we need to sneak out. I _am_ a wanted criminal." KID told her, wrapping his hand around her wrist. She was surprised that even with the gloves, it was warm. Much unlike Death's cold grasp. It felt _alive_ , not _dead_.

 _"She's mine!"_ It rasped angrily. Kaito laughed mockingly, but his tone only held false humor that was much unlike his cheerful personality. Shinichi didn't like it, not one bit.

"Not anymore~" He told it with a wink not unlike when he jumped off the skyscrapers and Nakamori-keibu would try to grab fruitlessly at him. It hissed again but said nothing more.

Death was nothing more than a child seeking attention, Shinichi's thoughts reminded her. That's what KID said. Why it was attached to her, though, she couldn't fathom.

A gray puff of smoke startled her from her thoughts. The hand never left her wrist, but once the smoke cleared, the phantom thief was dressed normally, looking like her male counterpart if she ever happened to have one. She stared and he grinned right back at her surprised gaze yet otherwise bored expression. Before she could ask any questions, however, they both snuck through the fire escape and blended in with the cheering crowd below.

"Well, that's not the way I wanted to escape. I wanted to use more flare," He explained. " But this will have to do." He pouted childishly, his tone not too different from when he was in his white uniform but way more relaxed and slightly more pleasant. Not any less arrogant though, Shinichi noted with an eye roll.

"That isn't a mask is it?" Shinichi asked and her hand automatically brushed against his cheek to check the suspicions her curiosity had. He flinched back as her fingers grazed over the soft skin and she stumbled out an apology for her more-than-rash actions.

"It's fine." He reassured her. "Just startled me."

"Since I got a face, can I get a name?" She asked, doing well to disguise the hopeful tone. She had no intention of turning him in and was curious to see who he was when he wasn't the elusive and arrogant phantom jewel thief.

"Hm," He hummed hesitantly before gazing at her face. He seemed to make up his mind as he gave her a nervous and guarded smile. " My name is Kaito."

"Seriously?" The female detective asked. That was way too funny. Compliments to whoever named him, she guessed with an amused chuckle.

"My father had a weird sense of humor." He shrugged in explanation, that grin back on his face. She rolled her eyes once more and chose not to comment on the 'had' part of his statement. Or the way his hand gripped her wrist a bit harder when he talked about it.

"Well, mine too I guess. My name is meant for a firstborn _son_." She reminded him playfully and was delighted to receive a joyful laugh. She smiled genuinely up at him since Kaito was a few inches taller.

"I've been wondering that." He admitted with another chuckle.

"I believe my father wanted a son. However, my mother was absolutely ecstatic when she found out I was a girl." Kaito grinned and listened to Shinichi with great interest.

"And your father got to choose the name?" He asked, amused. Shinichi laughed once more and shrugged lightly.

"I'm not sure. You can never get a straight answer out of my father and I don't think he wants me to know. That would be too easy. He wants me to find out.. Where are we anyways?" She suddenly asked. Her sapphire eyes pierced the surrounding sharply and took note of no people and all forest. The only other presence besides hers and Kaito's was Death.

Kaito's own indigo tinted eyes narrowed when he also looked around.

"I hate it when she does that." The thief mumbled before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Does what?" Shinichi asked, suspicion lacing her voice heavily as her stance became more defensive in the unfamiliar area. Kaito gave her wrist a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm actually not entirely sure. It's a 'one minute you're here and the next you're there'- sorta thing. I know this area, though, her house is that way." Kaito said, grinning rather cheekily at his weird explanation as he pointed forward.

"You are lucky I brought my gun because I swear to _god-"_

"You brought a _gun_!" He exclaimed in surprised horror. "To my heist?!" The detective nodded slowly, lifting one of her hands in a peaceful gesture.

"When you're me, any form of self-defense is necessary." She explained with rather conflicted emotion as she recalled just how many times a gun has been a necessary in her life. Thankfully she's never directly killed, she couldn't live with herself if she had. Plus, she only ever _maimed_ the offenders. "And, you're lucky I brought it because whoever this 'friend' of yours is, already creeps me out and I want to be ready for anything."

"You _can't_ shoot Akako! No matter how much of a thorn in the side she can be!" He stated with a pout and the detective promptly rolled her eyes.

"That's like telling me I can't shoot you."

" _You can't shoot me either!_ "

"Calm down, KI-" She stopped, realizing her mistake. "Kaito. I'm not going to shoot you. If you want, my gun is in my left boot. Take it if it'll make you feel safer. I don't need it unless the situation gets particularly desperate." She chuckled humorlessly and Kaito bit his lip, feeling as if he should in some way comfort her but not seeing how.

Kaito, Shinichi noted, was very easy to scare when that stupid poker face wasn't in the way. She was rather enjoying this side of him. It's simply _amusing_. Huh, perhaps her sense of humor is getting slightly more warped than she first thought.

"Nope. Not touching the thing." He said in disdain, his nose crinkling up in disgust when he glanced at where the gun was concealed. Shinichi smiled sadly as another thought struck her.

 _Pure. So so pure. Perhaps I too would be pure if it was instead a blessing in place of a curse?_

Shinichi suddenly wished she couldn't think. She was a rather depressing person in her mind.

"Let's just go." She caught herself mumbling as her mood grew sour. The thief didn't have time to reply as Shinichi dragged him in the direction he had pointed towards moments before.

That is where many of the problems and solutions started.

"I've been expecting you." A voice echoed ominously when an old manor came into the duo's view. Kaito shuttered lightly and Shinichi's hand instantly went to her watch until Kaito's hand stopped hers with delicate warning.

"As expected of you Akako-chan~. I assume you know why we're here?" He said light-heartedly, his voice teasing if not slightly tense. Very well hidden uneasiness, Shinichi's mind hummed as she couldn't help but evaluate her surroundings in more detail than before.

"Of course." The voice replied. This time closer, less ominous and more melodic than before. It possessed confidence. Lots of it. And perhaps, if the detective listened hard enough, a small edge of giddiness seen in excited children. "What do you take me for?" She asked, her voice now uncomfortably close, echoing this time as it gave the illusion of being in multiple places at once.

A teasing note lingered in her mind; a silent test from the witch. Shinichi grinned. She'd accept of course.

"Are you afraid of getting a little fresh air or what?" Kaito asked impatiently as he tried to pinpoint the location of the elusive witch. His voice held a daring tone, challenging her to show herself but instead she only chuckled. Kaito's indigo eyes showed livid annoyance that contradicted much of his calm poker face.

 _Simply amusing._

"Perhaps _that_ truth seeker you've taken fondness of can find me _._ " The witch chuckled and Kaito huffed, turning to the detective. She nodded when he looked at her expectantly, his eyes asking her silent questions to which she smiled at before her piercing sapphire eyes began to decipher anything and everything.

The first thing she needed to do was to get the girl to talk.

"I heard," The detective started as her eyes furiously swept over the forest and the Manor and her ears started to pick up even the littlest of sounds. She even thought about telling Kaito to stop breathing since it was rather distracting as he was right next to her, but then thought against it. She cleared her throat in order to gather her thoughts. " I heard that you can help me out with a certain situation, is that true?"

Shinichi quickly pinpointed the laughter that then broke out and she grinned. Kaito followed her gaze up into a tall tree and he smirked when the witch gracefully came down into view.

"But of course, little crow chaser." The witch, Akako, all but purred in a voice filled with seduction. Her cherry red lips pulled into a fine smile as she regarded Shinichi with knowing eyes that unnerved both Kaito and her. "Oops, looks like you found me," She smirked in realization. "Just do well to never undermine my skill and I think we'll get along just fine young bringer of truth."

When Shinichi turned to Kaito with an unamused eyebrow raised, Kaito shrugged before letting out a suffering sigh.

"She likes to speak in riddles, just try to get used to the many nicknames there are to come. Some times I don't know what she's even talking about. For me, it can range from you're possibly gonna die, or gain a new partner in crime." He warned and Shinichi found herself nodding hesitantly before turning to the amused which.

 _Her physical features are- Beautiful. Dangerously so._

Not that Shinichi would admit it, but her looks made Shinichi feel slightly unconfident. What was worse is that she never even cared before. That meant there was something otherworldly about her appearance if the nagging feeling she got was anything to go by. Not faked, no. But enhanced. Magic.

"Come," Akako spoke again. "Let us go inside, I have a solution and I don't want to be here when Death decides to lash out because of it. Death's interest in you is rather amusing since it went out of its way to gain a physical connection to the world. Nevertheless, the curse is still younger than many others so it is possible to teach it a lesson."

The mahogany double doors creaked open and a hunched over figure huddled out before dragging both Kaito and Shinichi inside, Akako followed at her own pace after shutting the doors with a flick of her wrist. Kaito, not liking the house at all shivered involuntarily in dismay much to the witches amusement.

"So," The magician drawled out teasingly after getting used to his surroundings, voice light and sarcastic. "You didn't take up on my suggestion about redecorating?" Shinichi snorted, her eyes lingering on the dusty old-fashioned furniture that lined the dimly lit halls. Kaito glanced back at her amusedly.

"Oh, shush." The red headed witch rolled her eyes, looking more and more like the actual teen she appeared to be when in Kaito's presence. The thief himself grinned, seemingly relaxing more although still tense. Shinichi could understand that since she too was on high alert. "Just another corridor now," Akako's voice whispered.

As they followed, the detective's face contorted in concern as Death sent all its displeasure and spite to her presence. It was mad. Really mad.

"Shinichi?" Kaito called out to her confused. The detective's head snapped towards his direction, directly beside her.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You okay?" Kaito furrowed his brows. Shinichi never had time to reply when Akako had announced they arrived and then led them down a long winding spiral staircase of cobblestone steps.

Akako opened another door, leading them into a room.

Both Kaito and Shinichi couldn't help be repulsed as they looked around. Jars that were filled with very questionable substances lined the walls on wooden shelves and other herbs hung from the ceiling. The smell hit almost instantly and the two un-magical teens had trouble not gagging.

Thank poker faces and emotionally impassive skill for the both of them.

"So um, what's sort of solution," Shinichi gestured to the room in general. "Involves all... this?" Akako smirked and Kaito slowly stepped in front of Shinichi, fearing for the detectives health.

"You aren't trying to kill Shin-chan are you?" The boy asked skeptically and Akako laughed causing Shinichi to let out an amused huff.

"I'd like to see her try." Shinichi's own piercing blue eyes rolled. "No one has been able to do that just yet." Kaito grimaced.

"You're a very morbid person."

"So I've been told." She replied and Kaito opened his mouth to say something back.

"Would you two like a moment, or do you want the solution to your problem?" Akako asked, her eyes glowing red in annoyance. Kaito sighed and dropped the matter at hand while Shinichi was pushed into a chair by the witch.

Mixing up many things into a bottle, Akako took out a dagger and Kaito had to stop himself from physically freaking out. _Oh, my god, she's going to kill Meitantei-san!_ Kudo Shinichi, high school detective, the criminal chaser, bomb-defuser specialist; whatever you wanted to call her was trying to keep the instinct to disarm anyone potentially harmful away as her blue eyes clouded with many memories.

"Just a little blood~" Akako stated creepily, stepping closer and closer to Shinichi who had somehow been stuck to the chair. The detective had this unnerving feeling that it was on purpose and she sighed in defeat. Damn magic.

The cut to Shinichi's palm was surprisingly gentle and stopped hurting rather fast. Or maybe that was just her tolerance for pain. She wasn't sure to be honest. However, it was still creepy to see one so skilled with a knife cut gently into your hand with such a maddening expression she thought only Gin and Haibara could pull off. It didn't go well on Shinichi's nerves and set off all the warning bells in her head just like when she sensed the crows running amuck.

"Sadist." She heard Kaito whisper and Shinichi smirked, agreeing that Akako did somewhat remind her of Haibara. But instead of needles, it was knives.

"I didn't kill her, did I?" The read head huffed, glaring at Kaito before she began to work on- Well, Shinichi wasn't sure what it was before the witch had of course thrown it into the fire.

When did she have time to light a fire for that matter?

"Witches," Kaito mumbled, attempting to lift his feet from the ground beneath him. It would appear Akako got to him too, and he was now practically glued to the floor. She allowed herself a moment to smirk for irony's sake.

"How does it feel to be on the receiving end of the glue treatment, KID?" She asked haughtily, perhaps enjoying his situation more than necessary. He pouted, his indigo eyes playful but embarrassed at the same time.

"You're in the same position," He countered. "Why not tell me?" Shinichi just smiled, happy to have gotten under his skin for once.

"Now that the banter is over, Kudo-san, I need to know- are you willing to get burned in order to keep death away?" Shinichi opened her mouth, but Akako held up her hand and any words were silenced but her own. "You have to understand that your decision to keep Death away is a good one, however, you also need to understand that it's not only Death's fault that you're a corpse magnet. That happens because you're attracted to the very essence of souls leaving their bodies, which also explains Death's interest in you.

"You wish to solve things, make the one truth come to light. You do that by dabbling in between the threads of both death and life. Even if unintentionally. So whether or not Death goes, and I'm sure Lady Luck will say something to him -He did turn himself into a curse after all- you will still have to solve many murders and such, only less than previously because Death won't be there to initiate the anger and murder in every psychotic-driven person out there. And believe me, there's a lot. Do you, or do you not want to get burned in order to release the curse?"

Akako's hand raised again and Shinichi could speak once more.

"I do." She answered, determination in her eyes before all she could feel was a burning sensation on the inside of both her right and left wrists. As unintentional tears pricked at her eyes, Shinichi could see through the haze that on both wrists, the right- a clover was carved in like a tattoo, and on the left- a scythe with a foggy grey mist surrounding it.

"I see Lady Luck blesses you and has graced you with the task of helping tormented souls move on. Don't be surprised if you start seeing dead people. _They're everywhere._ "

"Wait, what?!" Both Shinichi and Kaito yelled in sync. "Dead people?!"

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 _ **Hope you guys enjoyed and will drop a review!**_


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